Tennessee's David Holbert, left, is in for the touchdown as South Carolina's Ko Simpson (10) reacts during the first half Saturday, Oct. 30, 2004, at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain)

You almost have to feel sorry for South Carolina. They come out and dominate the game for the first 28 minutes and can only build up an 8-0 lead. Then, the Vols put in Brent Shaeffer who gives them a much needed spark on offense, leading a drive in the last minute and a half for a touchdown and a two-point conversion to even the playing field at 8-8 going into the lockerroom. Then, the second half comes and Tennessee destroys the Gamecocks in all phases on the game and win a great game that keeps them one step up on Georiga in the race to Atlanta for the SEC Championship game. The first 28 or so minutes were painful for me as a UT fan, but the final 32 were a thing of beauty. My only real complaint is our third-string game up too many yards when we had the game sealed away and we should never have allowed Carolina to have that final touchdown. But a win is a win is a win and it's a great day anytime you can beat Lou Holtz, which UT has done a lot lately.

You know, in the past, I've been the first to jump all over Randy Sanders, blaming him for the complete lack of offense at critical times. So, I'm gonna give him some huge credit for this game and this season. The man knows what he's doing and it shows. He calls the right plays at the right times to get it done and I loved his scheme here of rotating Ainge and Schaeffer as needed within drives to help the team. Also, his adjustments at half-time helped us to throttle SC in the second half and win the game. But I think his biggest calls was the time-out before half-time. He called it, not Fulmer and there's a great article in today's Tennessean about it. Good call, Randy. You took a gamble and it paid off huge. Turning point of the game and may be the best time out of the season. '

Also, I have to add this--why the hell does Lou Holtz kneel down and pick grass on the sidelines? I just don't understand....

As for South Carolina, I've a few things to say--I feel sorry for your fans. In two big games this year, they've teased their fans early only to have hopes dashed late (here and UGA). But there is no excuse for the small group of fans who threw bottles and things on the field during the game. You know what--you thought you should get a call, but you didn't. UT didn't get some calls and we got the short end of the stick on some calls. Be a good sport, boo the refs but you do not have the right to throw things on the field. You give your school and its fans a reputation as being classless and I know full well that most Gamecock fans have some class.

Also, I have to wonder what's the deal with the clocks in SEC stadiums this year? UT has issues with our play clock early in the season and then Williams Brice Stadium had issues during this game. You know, I've covered quite a few high school games in my time and they can get this right with fewer trained professionals running the clock. So, why not here in the SEC?

Here's something else scary to consider on Halloween. There's an intriguing corrolation between the outcome of the Washington Redskins game before an election and who wins the presidency. In each of the last elections years, if the Redskins win, the incunbent party stays in office. If the Redskins lose, then the incumbent is voted out.

Scary news for George W....Washington lost 28-14 to the Green Bay Packers today....

posted byMichael Hickerson at 10/31/2004 07:42:00 PM |
| Saturday, October 30, 2004TV Round-UpEnterprise: BorderlandAt long last, Enterprise gets back to its original premise and what I think this show should be all about--showing the early days of the Star Trek universe when things weren't always safe out there exploring the galaxy and showing us just how the Federation came to be. Yes, I enjoyed last year's Xindi arc as much as the next fan, but stories like this one are what I think Enterprise should do. And from what we've got here, "Borderland" shows they can be well done.

The whole "Brent Spiner comes back to Star Trek" angle could have been a ploy to garner some media attention and spike the ratings. But instead of just casting Spiner for the sake of Spiner being in there, Enterprise takes a chance and actually has a role that it makes sense that Spiner would play and that he is well suited for. The role of Arik Soong was written for Spiner and it shows with the sheer relish, delight and intensity that Spiner brings to the role. (Not surprising really if you think about the range Spiner showed over the course of TNG).

The story starts off with a group of genetically altered supermen known as Augments taking over a Klingon ship. Archer and company are dispatched to stop them and they take on passenger--Dr. Arik Soong, the man who created the Augments. Soong leads them into the borderlands--an area between the Klingon Empire and the Orion Syndicate where the ship is quickly attacked by the Orions and several of the crew taken prisoner. Archer has to rescue them with the help of Soong who tries to escape (he says he likes to clear him mind by trying to escape every once in a while). Meanwhile, the Augments have a power struggle that is along the lines of scenes from the O.C. (That's about my only real complaint with this episode).

I have to say, I enjoyed this episode more than I expected. There were raves about it in early reviews all day Friday and I was worried it wouldn't live up to the expectations. Well, except for the soap-opera like nature of the Augument power struggle, it exceeded my expectations. Enterprise has a reputation for having more action than most other Trek shows and one that I think is deserved and used against it unfairly. The action sequences in this one helped to move the plot along and encouraged a sense of drama and tension to the episode. And, let's face it, as a Trek fan, it was great to finally see a bit more about the Orions on-screen than the two glimpses of Orion slave girls we got in TOS ("The Cage", "Whom Gods Destroy").

My only huge reservation is this episode was all about setting up the next two and I hope they live up to the set-up. Trek has had a bad reptuation for great openings and lackluster endings to multi-part stories. I hope they pull out all the stops on this one.
Smallville: TransferenceSo, the whole Clark and Lionel switching bodies things wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been. In fact, I thought it was handled pretty well, though Lionel has now made things a lot more difficult for Clark in terms of living his daily life. No what gets me are the final few minutes of this one. Lionel's memory of being in Clark's body--specifically of having powers--are fuzzy. And then, Lex just accepts Clark's usual lame explanation this Lionel got superstrength from the transference. If Lex or Chloe or anyone with two brain cells every was able to put two and two together they might figure out Clark ain't what he appears to be. Hell, the whole "Miss Sullivan" line by Lionel in Clark should've been a dead give-away to Chloe that something was up. I just dont understand how Chloe can follow-up every other freak event in Smallville in a logical manner but be blinded by the overwhelming evidence that Clark isn't who he says he is. And maybe if any0ne ever compared notes they'd figure this thing out. But, I guess I'm expecting too much. I also had to wonder at Lionel being magically cured by switching bodies with Clark. I also wondered if Clark might have some of Lionel's ruthlessness and seizing opportunities in him now and if he'd used that to get back on the team. (As in--Coach, I know you're smooching Lana, so you let me back on the team, I keep my mouth shut.)

What did intrigue me was seeing Margot Kidder in the back of the limo, getting hold of the artifact that called to Clark. Makes you wonder what Dr. Swann's group is really up to, doesn't it.

posted byMichael Hickerson at 10/30/2004 10:12:00 AM |
| Big Orange Michael's Pigskin PicksTennessee at South Carolina (12:30 p.m. EST, Jefferson Pilot regional game, ESPN GamePlan)I'm sure Lou Holtz has told his team that Tennessee is the greatest team that has ever taken the field and that South Carolina is just lucky to be there. But that's not entirely true. Back in 1992, the last time USC won this game, the Vols came into Columbia with their destiny in their hand and Steve Tan-my-hill had a great day, sending the Vols home with a loss. Since then, the Vols have won 11-straight, though the last time it was a blow out was 1998 when Tee Martin set a record for pass completitions. Tennessee's offense, which was great the first couple of games, has been anemic that past few weeks while the defense has come to life. I'd love to see the Vols come in and blow out the Gamecocks, but I am not sure that will happen. But it does come down to one big difference--the Vols know how to win this game, the Gamecock hope they can win this game.
Tennessee 24, USC 17

Florida vs Georgia (3:30 p.m. EST, CBS)The chorus in Florida this week is "Win one for the Zooker" It might have been louder had Florida not pulled the trigger and given Zook the hook earlier this week. Give Zook some credit--he is coming back to coach the team in the final four games, which he didn't have to do. (And if there's a game South Carolina can steal a victory in, it'd be Florida). That said, the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail party is played again this year. One thing--why not play home and home for this one...it might give UGA a chance of winning more than once a decade. Anyway, where was I? Florida owns this series, but UGA has a lot to play for. Georgia has struggled since demolishing LSU, but you can bet they've had this one circled. I really see this game going one of two ways: huge blowout for UGA, close game won by Florida. I'm going with history on this one.
Florida 21, Georgia 20

Auburn at Ole Miss (7:45 p.m EST, ESPN)Ole Miss gets another appearance on national TV in a game they shouldn't win. I think the three QB system for Ole Miss will keep it close--for a half. Ole Miss doesn't have the defense to keep up with the running back combination that Auburn offers.
Auburn 45, Ole Miss 21

Other games (winner predicted by bold):
Vanderbilt at LSU Kentucky at Mississippi State

I'm not quite sure how to take those results, quite frankly. Tip of the hat to Pete Holiday for this enlightening little quiz.

posted byMichael Hickerson at 10/29/2004 08:45:00 AM |
| Survivor: Vanuatu
Product placement much? How much did Folgers pay the Survivor people to use their new coffee maker in the show? I loved how we had a long, five-minute commerical for the new coffee maker on the show and then went to a commercial for the coffee maker! Consumerism, I love you!

I loved that before the reward challenge, Rory is ready to burn the camp to the ground should he be the next to go. Then, they win reward and immunity and everyone gets pumped up on caffeine and letters from home and Rory has a change of heart. Yeah, I also wonder if Mark Burnett didn't come out and explain that Rory would lose his piece of the pie if he burned down the village. But, oh what a reunion special that would have been!

So, John K finally gets voted out. Which means I never got the burning question of just what kind of career is mechanical bull operator anyway? Can anyone tell me? I just wonder if this isn't maybe specializing a bit too much and limiting your job opportunities. Of course, who am I to really criticize?

And who says Julie's nude sunbathing didn't pay some dividends? Sure, she's a slacker, but she's a hot naked female slacker in a tribe of mostly men. Let me see--I have to vote out someone...who am I gonna vote out...the cute girl who sunbaths in the buff or the mechanical bull operator? Hmmmm...not a huge decision there!

posted byMichael Hickerson at 10/29/2004 08:34:00 AM |
| Big Orange Survivor Magnolia Week 7 Results
First, the results of this week's big contest:
1. How many days on the island will be chronicled in this episode? Three2. Who is the tribe member without a work ethic? John K. 3. What is the "hard-fought" challenge?Break coconuts, fill half the shell with water, balance it on an obstacle course down to a jug with a line painted on it. Fill the jug to the line then be first back with the jug full. 4. What is the reward?A home cafe--coffee, croissants, juice, coffeemaker for camp (product placement anyone?), letters and pictures from home.5. Which tribe wins reward? Yasur6. Which tribe does Jeff Probst single out with a comment first at the Reward Challenge?Lopevi7. Which challenge brings tribe members to tears--Reward or Immunity?Reward8. Eliminated due to repetition. 9. Who is the potential target for voting off the island before the Immunity Challenge?Rory10. Which tribe wins the Immunity Challenge?Yasur11. Which tribe does Jeff Probst single out with a comment first at the Immunity Challenge?Lopevi12. Who makes their case at Tribal Council to stay on the island?John K.13. Does it work?No14. Who is voted out this week?John K.

Bonus Questions:15. Will Julie sunbath again this week?No. 16. Will Sarge try to hook up with Twilia? No17. Two and under OR three or more: Number of people who cry in the episode on camera?Three or more18. Who gets the first confessional of the week?Chad19. Who votes first at Tribal Council?Sarge20. Who votes last at Tribal Council? Chris

posted byMichael Hickerson at 10/29/2004 07:55:00 AM |
| Thursday, October 28, 2004Titans tickets!
Someone at work gave Brian free Titans tickets, which he has passed on to me. (He's staying home to help the kids trick or treat).

So, that means this Sunday I'll be dressing up as a Titan's fan (amazingly the same costume I wear every Sunday they're playing, unless Washington is playing Dallas and then I wear Redskins gear) and heading up to the Coliseum. Hopefully, this time the Titans won't figure out I'm in the stadium and win the game. (I'm thinking face paint might disguise me).

I'm now contemplating my wardrobe. I'm a bit superstitious about these things. I firmly believe that it's certain t-shirts I've been wearing this year that are causing this losing streak. I gotta figure out what combination of Titans stuff I need to wear to give them the best chance to win.

2) Are you more into the lame scary movies that make you laugh, or the straight up - scare the bejesus out of you - scary movies?
I'd have to say I like both...I love stuff like Attack of the Killer Tomatoes but I also like a good scary movie like Pyscho or Signs.

3) Scary movies - best viewed alone? Or with a crowd?
Depends on who's in the crowd really...(wink, wink, grin, grin, say NO more!)

BONUS) You've parked your behind on the couch for a marathon of scary movies. What 5 scary movies are on your list?
Pyscho, Alien, Bride of Frankenstein, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein

posted byMichael Hickerson at 10/28/2004 02:13:00 PM |
| Channel surfing
So, last night after I watched my videotape of Lost, I went channel surfing (forgot there was new South Park on last night, blast it all!). After checking out the baseball game score (sorry, I just can't get into baseball on TV) I kept flipping around and came across the most bizarre little piece of television broadcasting I'd ever seen.

To set the stage--apparently Murfressboro has a couple of public access TV stations. Now, in the past, I've seen things like news from MTSU with students who are obviously getting some experience for broadcasting classes. But tongiht, I flipped past to see a giant green screen with two attractive girls dancing about in front of it. Never being one to pass up the opportunity to view attractive females without seeming like a complete stalker, I stopped for a moment. Also, it was one of those--what the hell?!? type of things. I notice the top of the screen there is text that says something like "Live from the LRC. Yes, really live!" and then on the bottom it had a phone number to call--though for what purpose, I couldn't quite figure out. We then cut away to the DJ booth and people flipping through books of CDs for the next song. Oh yeah, I almost forgot--there was a girl there who had on a pink wig, ala Sydney from season one of Alias and a guy trolling for a date by holding up a sign with his phone number on it.

The song comes to end and I'm hoping that maybe there will some explanation of what this is and why it's on public access (OK, beyond the obvious). Nope...instead we get the female DJ encouraging everyone to get out and dance and then she launches into one of the greatest dance songs of all time...Cyndi Lauper's "She Bop." Now, I've not heard "She Bop' in years, but blast it if it isn't still one of those songs that will get in your head and never leave! I am still hearing it go through my head even as I type this! I am thinking--well, I have no clue, no do I care when...a couple of more girls come into the frame and start dancing. One of them is an a little red, strapless dress and she's dancing about in such a way (well, dancing being a relative term) that some slippage is occurring. This leads to the hilarity of watching her move above and about every minute have to stop and adjust the front of her dress so things don't come spilling out. Meanwhile, the song changes to "Love Shack" and then some other dance numbers. I keep hoping against hope that they'll tell me what this is and why it's on the air, but nothing. We see a cut to a carved Jack-O-Lantern, so all I can assume is that this is some group's Halloween party and they thought a way to get people to run down there and join in was to broadcast it on public access.

But you know, I am sad to say that my life is so empty that I actually kept flipping back in my channel surfing to see what was going on and if we'd ever find out what this was and why it was on. So, if anyone else saw it or knows what it was and why it was on, please let me know. Otherwise, I'm afraid I may go slowly insnae--OK, more insane than I already am.

posted byMichael Hickerson at 10/28/2004 10:49:00 AM |
| LostHouse of the Rising SunI knew it! I knew it! I knew that either Sun or Jin knew how to speak English! Woo-hoo for me guessing that one right. (I'll admit it's about the only thing I've pegged correctly about the show so far...and I mean that in a good way). Ever week, Lost keeps pulling the unexpected. I fully exepcted that Kate would be part of Jack's party that set up camp in the cave. You'd think she might have the most to lose by being rescued, but she apparently years to get back to civilization. Or maybe it's to get back at Jack for failing to check her out like she thought earlier in the episode (I mean, who wouldn't?!?) Or it could be that Kate realizes that, so far, whatever has been roaming out there in the jungle hasn't put in an appearance on the beach, so why tempt fate by living in the jungle?

Meanwhile, we get a lot of backstory on Sun and Jin and some more fleshing out of the other characters. Locke still continues to intrigue me--I think the whole confrontation with whatever a few weeks back has affected him more than he's saying. He's way too zen, especially based on what how tightly wound we saw him in the flashbacks a few weeks ago. And you have to wonder--will he destroy the drugs that Charlie gave him or use them as leverage later on down the road?

You get the feeling that everyone on the island has an agenda, but we just haven't figured out just what everyone's agenda is yet. I loved how Sayid went and staring making alliances with people just as Jack got back with the decision to move into the cave. I also liked how in the arguement of where to live, there wasn't a "right" or a "wrong' answer but shades of gray to it. Do you go for short-term and hope that a rescue plane or ship comes by or do you go long-term and live in the cave? I've got to wonder why they didn't set up some type of system where there's a rotation for being on bonfire duty and then everyone can live in the cave to be closer to the only source of fresh water around. It seems to make sense, but then again I'm not out on my own in the wilderness facing heaven only knows what.

posted byMichael Hickerson at 10/28/2004 10:27:00 AM |
| The curse is over.
Congratulations to the Boston Red Sox and their fans on winning your first World Series since 1918. I hope this means the curse is over...or that we can at least stop hearing about it for a couple of days.

posted byMichael Hickerson at 10/28/2004 08:10:00 AM |
| Wednesday, October 27, 20047-Eleven Gives Woman $711 Bonus for BabyErin Kappen, a part-time 7-Eleven employee gave birth to a seven pound, 11 ounce baby boy earlier this month and got a check for $711 for doing so. I wonder if that will help with the money she'll lose from having to take a couple of days off to have the kid...cause I doubt that 7-Eleven has a great maternity plan....

posted byMichael Hickerson at 10/27/2004 08:09:00 PM |
| Big Orange Survivor Magnolia, Week 7
Last week, Rory managed to avoid elimination when an off-hand comment by Lisa saw her sent packing. Meanwhile, Sarge looks to establish a love connection with Twila and Julie did a little sunbathing. And at tribal council and the challenges, Jeff Probst made sure to snarkily throw in the word that anyone who made it through TC would be on the island at "least one more day".

Here are the new tribes:

The previews this week showed a tough challenge that features lots of people crying and saying they just can't take it. Meanwhile, the CBS Survivor Web Site has this to say:

One member's lack of work ethic prompts negative reactions in the tribe.

After winning a hard-fought Challenge, one tribe is rewarded with more than just sustenance.

One Survivor, in danger of being voted off, wins a Challenge for the tribe, thus buying more time on the island.

A potential target at Tribal Council, one Survivor tries to convince the rest that another tribemate should be next to go.

And now, here is this week's contest...

1. How many days on the island will be chronicled in this episode? (1 point)
2. Who is the tribe member without a work ethic? (1 point)
3. What is the "hard-fought" challenge? (1 point)
4. What is the reward? (1 point)
5. Which tribe wins reward? (1 point)
6. Which tribe does Jeff Probst single out with a comment first at the Reward Challenge? (1 point)
7. Which challenge brings tribe members to tears--Reward or Immunity? (1 point)
8. Who has the lack of worth ethic? (1 point) (UPDATE: Oops...same question twice. However, players have already voted so it would be unfair to change it at this point. Sorry about that guys! For scoring purposes, we'll only count the question once!) 9. Who is the potential target for voting off the island before the Immunity Challenge? (1 point)
10. Which tribe wins the Immunity Challenge? (1 point)
11. Which tribe does Jeff Probst single out with a comment first at the Immunity Challenge? (1 point)12. Who makes their case at Tribal Council to stay on the island? (1 point)
13. Does it work? (1 point)
14. Who is voted out this week? (1 point)

Bonus Questions:
15. Will Julie sunbath again this week? (1 point)
16. Will Sarge try to hook up with Twilia? (1 point)
17. Two and under OR three or more: Number of people who cry in the episode on camera? (1 point)
18. Who gets the first confessional of the week? (1 point)
19. Who votes first at Tribal Council (1 point)
20. Who votes last at Tribal Counil? (1 point)

There you go...I posted the questions a bit early to give everyone time to ponder them a bit more. Also, if you're new and haven't joined in yet, jump on into the game. It's still anyone's game at this point!

Good luck to everyone! Leave your votes in the comments or put a link to your blog in the comments with your vote. All votes must be cast by Thurday at 8 p.m. EST.

posted byMichael Hickerson at 10/27/2004 01:23:00 PM |
| Tuesday, October 26, 2004One week left...
I heard a report on the radio this morning that over 700,000 Tennesseans have taken advantage of the opportunity to early vote.

I took advantage of the opportunity last Thursday. I stood in line about an hour, which wasn't really that bad. I made friends with fellow voters around me and we just passed the time talking about various stuff. One very nice lady behind me joked that we should all have a reunion in a couple of weeks since we'd all gotten so close during our line waiting expereince.

Early voting ends Thursday.

All I can say is regardless of who you plan to vote for, I encourage you to get out there and vote. Either do it via early voting (if you can) or next Tuesday on Election Day. It's a right, it's a priviledge and it's an honor. Plus, as I told someone earlier--voting makes you sexy.

Animal shows

Animals have always been a part of the TV market, from commercials, to their own shows, even their own channels, let's talk animals!! :)

1. What's your favorite or least favorite "wildlife" show? Why?I've not really watched too many "wildlife" shows to be honest with you. People are strange enough on reality TV as it is.

2. Who's your favorite animal TV star?Does Carson Daily count?

3. What animal (pet or wildlife) shows do you watch?Again, none really. I've never been a huge fan of the animal shows.

~Bonus~ For pet lovers, if your pets had their own TV show what would it be called? Why?Unfortunately, I don't have any pets at this time. So, a show about my pets would pretty empty and meaningless--sort of like most of the shows on FOX these days.

Mrs. Harrington, however, is worried that her daughter may be engaging in premarital sex. "Just yesterday Brittany told me she had been late for dinner because she had spent the day blogging at Heather's house," she told THO. "When I told her she was grounded for her sexual indiscretion, she lied and said that's not what she meant. But I've seen those Monty Python movies, and I know all the lingo."

SPEAKING OF BUFFY...: Gellar's former boss, Buffy mastermind Joss Whedon, is getting out of the TV business — at least for the time being. According to Variety, Whedon has shuttered his Mutant Enemy production company because he says he has run out of ideas. "I spent a lot of time trying to think what my next series would be," Whedon said. "I couldn't think of anything. When that happens, it generally means something is just not working." For now, Whedon will continue to focus on features — including the forthcoming Firefly flick, Serenity. What does all this mean for the proposed Buffycartoon? I'm told that remains on the drawing board.

All I can say is the televsion world is now a much, much sadder place. But at least Whedon isn't being like David E. Kelley and staying long past his welcome or his ideas have run out...

posted byMichael Hickerson at 10/25/2004 11:08:00 AM |
| TV Round-UpEnterprise: HomeThis type of story is exactly what I wanted to see done in the final season of Voyager--not just to know that the crew got home safe and sound but also to see some of the ramifications of what happened to them on their voyage. At least Enterprise got the chance to do that, though I found myself wishing that they'd devoted more than just an hour to this because there really was a lot more that could have and should have been done. I really liked the character development in Archer and his wondering how he can go back to being a wide-eyed explorer after all he saw and all the things he had to do in the Expanse last year to stop the Xindi weapon. Also, the tribunal scene were Archer is grilled by the Vulcan High Command and then loses it was superbly done and I think they shouldn't have had Soval extend the hand of friendship so quickly in the end. I also enjoyed the whole Trip and T'Pol plotline because it didn't take the easy way out. Easy way out--Tripp declares his undying love for T'Pol at the ceremony, thus stopping it so our heroes can live happily ever-after. Instead, Tripp realizes that T'Pol is doing what she's doing for her own reasons and he's not sure where he stands with her. He backs down a bit and may end up losing T'Pol. I just hope this is being introduced for the right reasons, as were stated here, and not as a "let's keep Tripp and T'Pol apart." The only plotline I didn't find overly appealing was the new predjuice on Earth--not that I didn't see why it was included, but it was a bit heavy-handed for my liking. The idea that Earth would become a bit xenophobic in the wake of the Xindi attack is completely understandable. And while the bar-fight was a bit reminiscent of classic Trek's "The Trouble With Tribbles" it seemed a bit too predictable at times.

And here's a note for UPN. I understand that you're excited about Brent Spiner guest starring next week. But why did you have to advertise it before the episode and during every commercial break. You've probably already got the audience that has tuned in to see this week's Enterprise. What we need is some promotion during other time slots and throughout the week.
Lost: White RabbitIn his weekly Cowboy Pete's TV Round-Up, Peter David claims he's figured out where the castaways are--they've all beamed down to the planet from classic Star Trek's "Shore Leave." So, any minute now I expect to see the black knight (not the Monty Python one) and Dr. McCoy wander out with two women with strategically placed cloth and not much else on. "White Rabbit" didn't match the intensity of last week's "Walkabout" but that said, it's still pretty darn good. We see the castaways slowly beginning to deal with the reality that help ain't coming any time soon and they've got to be about the business of survival. And it's looking like alliances are beginning to form on the island which should make it interesting now that Jack is ready to step up and accept the role of leadership that has been thrust upon him.

You know Matthew Fox has to be grateful for his years spent on Party of Five because it taught him how to convincingly cry and look like he was losing his mind on command. That is the type of acting skill you just don't learn anywhere else but as part of the Salinger family.

Smallville: RunRemember when you were little and had those endless debates about who could run faster--Superman or the Flash? (I think they had a comic book that addressed this at some point with Supes and Flash racing around the world). Well, this episode is one that tries to answer that question for us all. For now, it appears that the Flash can outrun Superboy...er, I mean Clark Kent. Meanwhile, the series tries to break out of the "back to season one" by throwing in Lana's tatoo, cave symbols and a new piece of the puzzle as to who Clark really is. Inside the parchment that the Flash steals from Lex is a map that leads somewhere. Anyone wanna take bets its the Fortress of Solititude? I will give the show some credit--this was far better than the last two season-one-like episodees, but I'm not sure if next week with the whole body-switching plotline isn't the jump the shark point for the series.

Survivor: VanuatuCan anyone tell me why Eliza is still there but Lisa was sent home? Eliza, who is more concerned with getting muddy than catching a pig and winning the reward and who has contribued next to nothing to the team since they got there.

Give Rory some credit for being a self-professed "rat" and seizing upon a crack in the alliance to wriggle his way in and survive another week. Also, you have to enjoy Julie's strategy of--well, I will sunbath nekkid in order to win the men over to my side. I love how she claims she enjoys sunning all of herself, but doesn't do it (at least not on-screen) until she's in a tribe of just about all men. Yeah, sure you just "enjoy" sunbathing nekkid and weren't thinking about how it might keep you in the game. And speaking of sunbathing "nekkid", someone over at Reality Fan Forum posted the infamous Playboy pix of contestant Ami. Warning: These are "nekkid" pictures of Ami so view at your own risk...

Meanwhile, there's potential love on the horizon for Sarge and Twilia.

The ApprenticeApparently The Donald lives in his suit (even for showering!) because he expressed surprise that the women would change out of their business attire for relatively mundane chores such as cooking and eating. Oh wait--The Donald has people who do that for him--the cooking that is. (I bet the man has no clue how to make even a Pop Tart, much less the far more complicated Toaster Strudel). This week's task--start a pet-related business. Alrighty then...how the heck does Trump come up with these things? Oh wait....he's probably got a team of interns who do that for him.

Stacy R gets fired. Thinking about it, it makes sense since she doesn't really contribute that much to the teams beyond sniping. But I still think Wes had the biggest failure as project manager, but then again I'm not The Donald (hence why I am wearing casual clothes to type this instead of the suit and tie I should).

I love how the Donald states that he hates exaggeration. Pot, kettle...kettle, pot. Doesn't Trump exaggerate just about everything?!? I guess this could have been filmed when Trump was facing the bankruptcy of one his businesses where people might have exaggerated things such as revenue to him. But come on, Trump. You do it all the time!

posted byMichael Hickerson at 10/25/2004 10:03:00 AM |
| Sunday, October 24, 2004Fandom gone too far, part 2Harpeth coach receives bloody messageThis week with UT taking on Bama, I've been thinking a lot about how some fans just take things too far off the field. Reading quotes from some Bama fans saying that Fulmer was worse than Osama Bin Laden just make me chuckle because it's so extreme (and I am sure there are UT fans who felt the same way about Spurrier). You know, it's a game. It's supposed to be fun and enjoyable. If you're issuing death threats, you've probably missed the whole point.

Of course, death threats sound like they'd be a walk in the park for what a local high school football coach is facing. Over in Harpeth, offensive coordinator Robert Brown's team is having a bad year. They're 0-9 this year and there's a lot of grumbling. A large group of players quit the team saying that Brown was being "verbally abusive" to the players (Hello?!? It's high school football..when you screw up the coach is gonna yell at you, not invite you over to sing a few rounds of Kum-ba-ya!)

Apparently there's someone or a group of someones out in Harpeth who have decided that just quitting the team isn't enough. They've begun a campaign against the coach that included inconviences such as putting For Sale signs in his yard and moving his basketball goal down the street. But now it's escalated a bit more. Friday night, someone left a dead goat behind the back tires of his wife's minivan. A bloody goat with its neck broken and its ears cut off.

You know, I can understand dissatisfaction. I can understand venting that frustration--shoot, I do it all the time here. Also, witness the popularity of FireRonZook.com. But to take it this far to where you are killing an animal to try and make your point--maybe you should step away a minute. If it angers you that much, don't go to a game. Don't play on the team. Move on and grow up. It's not cute, it's not funny and it certainly help the situation any.

posted byMichael Hickerson at 10/24/2004 07:10:00 PM |
| Tennessee 17, Alabama 14
Yeah, I like beating Florida, I enjoy beating Georgia. But when it all comes down to it, there ain't nothin' like the feeling of Tennessee beating Bama!

Tennessee Coach Phillip Fulmer turns to hug linebacker Kevin Burnett, who dumped a cooler of water on Fulmer in the final seconds of the Vols' 17-13 win over Alabama.

Great game by two teams who both wanted to win this one badly. Tennessee got a couple of great breaks--the early turnover, the 45-yard punt return and a late, game-saving intereception. I've dubbed this year's Vol's the "New Cardiac Kids" since they are winning close games week after week.

It wasn't a pretty win, but I'll take an ugly loss over a pretty win anyday.

posted byMichael Hickerson at 10/24/2004 12:30:00 PM |
| Saturday, October 23, 2004Big Orange Michael's Pigskin Picks
Yeah, it's been a couple of weeks, but after my last showing I wasn't in any huge hurry to make more losing picks. But then I realized something...I do it anyway in my mind so why not post them again on-line?

1. Alabama at Tennessee (3:30 p.m. EST, CBS)Until Alabama found a running game last week, I'd've said the Vols would run away with this one due to injuries to Brandon Croyle. Now, I'm predicting a closer game than I would have thought but still one the Vols win. The near-loss at Ole Miss last week should have served as a wake-up call to the Vols of how quickly the lead in the East can slip away. Bama will be up for this game, but in the end, UT will pull away and sent the Tide home with a second-straight loss.
Tennessee 24, Alabama 17

2. Florida at Mississippi State (12:30 p.m. EST, Jefferson Pilot Sports regional game).The Sylvester Croom era got off to a good start in Starkville, but it's not been pretty since. Florida comes in with a must win game to keep up in the race in the East (I still think they're gonna beat the stuffing out of UGA in a couple of weeks). The Florida offense is potent, having scored on drives of two minutes or less 12 times this year.
Florida, 48, Mississippi State 14

3. Kentucky at Auburn (2:30 p.m. EST)Auburn rolls over Kentucky, who is worst in the East. The good news for Kentucky: basketball season is just around the corner.
Auburn 48, Kentucky 7

4. Georgia at Arkansas (7 p.m. EST, ESPN2)Georgia would do well to look at the history of Arkansas. In 1999, the Vols rolled into Arkansas with only one loss and the dreams of keeping in a national title game hunt in their minds. Arkansas dashed those. This year, the Razorbacks could deal a similar blow to the Bulldogs, if Georgia isn't focused. I think this one will be closer than most expect.
Georgia 20, Arkansas 17

5. Miami at NC State (7:45 p.m EST, ESPN)Miami played just well enough to win last week--sorry, Hurricanes, but you are not number two in the country NC State is on their home-field. Miami is expecting a cake-walk, NC State is expecting an upset. I'm going with NC State.
NC State 21, Miami 17

Other SEC Games (winners picked in bold)
6. Eastern Kentucky at Vanderbilt7. Troy at LSU

GO BIG ORANGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

posted byMichael Hickerson at 10/23/2004 08:40:00 AM |
| Friday, October 22, 2004The flu shot controversy rages on....
Once again, the United States Congress is granting themselves special exemptions to the rules and seem to be following the "do as we say, not as we do" rule. This time, it's all about the suddenly scare flu vaccine, which Congress has decided they should set aside some of the vaccine for themselves--even if they're not high-risk patients.

Two Tennessean Congressmen got their flu shots--Bill Frist, who got his a couple of days before the "restrictions" began and Lamar Alexander, who is 64 and just a few months shy of the "high-risk" cut-off line.

Their "logic" is the following (take from this morning's Tennessean):

"The idea was that members of Congress needed shots, ''especially since they would be around a number of people in the upcoming weeks leading up to the election and could be both victims and spreaders of the flu,'' (Alexia) Poe, (a spokesman for Lamar Alexandar) said."

OK, I can understand that our Congress-people are going to be around people who might be contagious out there on the campain trail. Well, I hate to say it, but there are a bunch of us out there who are going to be around contagious people doing that funny little thing known as going about our daily lives. Shocking, I'm sure. Also, it just galls me the elitist attitude that all the parties in Congress have that they are somehow more important that the people they serve and are, thus, entitled to the flu shot. Heaven forbid one of them miss a vote because of a little bit of flu. Oh wait, I bet if you looked at the record, not every Senator or Representative is there for every vote anyway. And yet, the country still continues to run just fun, thank you.

I don't care what party you're with, it just smacks of elitism. And I think that either party is missing a huge PR move by having a couple of members say, "You know, I may get sick, but there are people in my district who are high risk and need this more than I do. Let them have it." Sure, the flu shot might not get to their district, but in the court of public opinion it may not matter. It's the gesture that will count in the long-run.

Of course, I think a huge part of this rush to get a flu shot is the shortage of them. I heard this theory proposed yesterday during the Phil Valentine Show and it makes a lot of sense. The train of thought is this--you tell people they can't have something and suddenly you've created more demand for it than ever. He compared it to the whole Cabbage Patch craze of a years ago--there was something that was in short supply and we heard reports about it. Suddenly everyone has to have one. Same theory applies here.

That said, I'd like to get a flu shot. I've got one every year for a while now and haven't had a serious bout of the flu. But I also understand there are others who need them more than I do--like my 91-year-old grandfather, my one-year-old nephew who possibly has asthma, etc. So I've decided I'm gonna eat my veggies, drink my OJ, take my vitamins and cross my fingers that I don't get it. And let those who really need and deserve these shots get them.

"Coach, I'd love to hear your take on the rankings. Specifically, do you think preseason rankings do a disservice to some teams by underrating or not including them or overrating others? Should we wait until the first of October for the first polls to come out so we can have a better indicator of who the top 25 teams in the nation really are based on performance on the field instead of reputation going into the season?"

"That’s seven questions into one. Let’s start with the first one. The reason the preseason polls are there is because of the media. The media and the college football fans can’t wait to start talking about their teams in the beginning of September. No coach wants a preseason poll because it puts unrealistic expectations on their team, but the media want it. They got to have it. The coaches don’t want it. The fans do, and that’s why they have it. The way I look at this poll, I think that Auburn is the best football team in the nation. I voted them No. 1. I think USC is second, Oklahoma third, Miami fourth and Florida State fifth. It didn’t come out like that, but don’t be surprised, at the end of the year, if old Auburn doesn’t sneak in there

And it was the first question he answered. I feel almost famous and special.

1. Which tribe will win the piglet-herding reward challenge? Lopevi
2. Who has a fear of handling the piglets? Eliza
3. What is the reward for herding the piglets? Steak and eggs (if you said "food" in some way for this one, you get credit)
4. Which tribe wins immunity? Lopevi
5. Which castaway will be conflicted over who to vote for at Tribal Council? Ami
6. What is the sign that sways the vote for the conflicted tribe member? An off-hand comment by Lisa
7. Who gets voted out this week? Lisa
8. Which tribe will get "breaking the alliances" speech? Yasur
9. Who gives the speech? Rory
10. Will Rory do any work in the Yasur camp? Yes

Bonus questions:
11. Over or under three: Number of exotic island creatures we'll see in cutaway shots. Three (Note: I gave credit for this question if you predicted three or over).12. None, one or more than one: Number of men Julie sways to her side by nude sunbathing. None (Unfortunately, I don't count as one of the number of men who were swayed by Julie's nude sunbathing...though I'm sure Hugh Hefner took note and is having his people contact her people for a possible photoshoot).
13. During the reward challenge, which tribe will Jeff Probst single out first for comments? Yasur
14. During the immunity challenge, which tribe will Jeff Probst single out first with a comment? Lopevi

Congratulations to our big week six movers, Tudy and Clayton who got a nine of the 14 questions correct and made a big move up the leaderboard.

posted byMichael Hickerson at 10/22/2004 08:52:00 AM |
| Thursday, October 21, 2004Book Review: The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower
Before I launch too far into this, let me warn you now. This review will contain huge SPOILERS for the last installment of Stephen King's The Dark Tower series, The Dark Tower. If you've not read it and don't want to know some things--such as how it all ends--then I urge you to turn back now.

In a lot of ways, it's hard to really crystalize how I feel about this book. At this point in my reading life, I've spent thousands of pages with the quest to reach the Dark Tower--both within King's seven book series about Roland and company trying to reach the Dark Tower and in all of the other King books that touch upon his Dark Tower universe. For me, this novel was almost bittersweet in a lot of ways--there was going to finally be some type of closure and ending to the series, but I was also going to miss looking forward to when the next novel would come out and the eager anticipation I got from reading each one. After all, there can never be another first time for reading the books in the series and even though King has stated he's going to go back and tweak some minor things in the editing, from now on, the quest for the Dark Tower is complete.

I'll say this--there were so many expectations for how this series would end that I think no ending could have lived up to them. That said, I think King did a pretty decent job with ending it. Whether you like the ending or not is up to your preference. But I will give King this--it ended in pretty much one of the only ways it possibly could have ended without being having fans rushing to his doorstep with pitchforks and torches.

The final chapter of the Dark Tower saga has a lot happening in it. It' s a bloody saga to the end, high body count--both for the bad guys and our heroes. Along the way, King has the reality of our world and the fictional world of the Dark Tower cross paths. The book roughly breaks down into thirds. The first third is bent upon resolving the cliffhanger from Song of Susannah with the ka-tet working together to stablize the Beam and thus, prevent the destruction of the universe . This portion of the novel works fairly well, but it's not the speediest of reading. King brings in lots of characters from other books that have touched upon the Dark Tower saga here and a lot of my time was spent going, "Oh yeah, that's this character from this novel." King gives some explanation and background so if you've only read the Dark Tower novels, you can pick up on the storyline, but he also leaves some nice gems in there for "constant readers" to discover for themselves. The next third of the novel is devoted to the breaking of the ka-tet and the saving of Stephen King from his death at the end of the last novel. This part is the portion of the novel that flew by the quickest for me as King pulls out all the stops. It goes from breathless suspense to abject horror in just a few pages and its done with ease. I won't give away a lot of the events of these two sections because it's a lot of fun to go in without knowing what will happen to any of these fictional characters. The final third of the novel is Roland and company pressing on to the Dark Tower. It wraps up some of the threads from the series and this novel in a pretty nice package, though the resolution to the Mordred subplot seems a bit anti-climatic.

The Dark Tower is really all about the conseuqences of the quest--about what the cost of doing the "right thing" is. Make no mistake--there are prices to be paid here. We see how obsessed Roland really is in getting to the Tower and the price he must pay for that.

And the ending....

As I said before, it's one of those you either love it or you hate it. Personally, I found that while I wasn't jumping for joy about it, in the context of the series, it makes a lot of sense. In some ways, it was the only way the series could end and feel not like a cheat. So, on that level, I like it.

It's one of those endings that I am sure brings up a lot of debate among fans...and maybe that's the point. Good literature should have us sitting down and thinking about it...debating it. Not just being merely entertained by it and then forgetting about it five minutes after we've read it (Dean Koontz novels anyone?) So, on that level, the Dark Tower succeeds, bringing us an ending that isn't necessarily what we thought it would be (how can it be since we've had all these years to imagine our own?) but instead is what it needs to be.

So, I guess by that reasoning, this is good literature. Good literature and it's popular? Who'd've figured that Stephen King could pull that off?

Well, the US presidential election is almost here. Through cinematic history, there've been a number of movies where the POTUS has been a major or featured character - The American President, Air Force One, Independence Day, just to name a few recent ones.

1) Which fictional movie president would you most like to see sitting in the White House?Oh, I'm sure this question will just open up all kinds of snarky remarks in other blogs about the legitimacy of certain men who've held the office recently. LOL. That said, I think it might be pretty cool to see Harrison Ford's character from Air Force One as leader of the free world. Before he started kicking terrorist butt and taking names, you got a sense that he was a pretty good guy for the job.

2) Do you think the movies accurately portray the circumstances surrounding the life of the US President?I'm not really sure they do portray them all that accurately. We see them under some extreme circumstances in movies like Air Force One, ID4, Superman 2, so I don't think it really shows what it means to do the job day in and day out. I think we saw some of that in The American President, but again, I'm not sure it's the most accurate view because some things have to be naturally embellished to make the story more interesting.

3) A number of TV shows recently have featured the POTUS as a main character (The West Wing, 24). Would you accept any of them as the real US President?I could see David Palmer from 24 as president. I haven't watched much of the West Wing, so I can't really say if I like or dislike Martin Sheen's presidential character.

BONUS) What actor (or actress!) would you like to get the chance to play a US President on screen?Shatner!

posted byMichael Hickerson at 10/21/2004 12:43:00 PM |
| Adventures in the whirlpool.
Yesterday afternoon, I was sitting in the whirlpool down at the Y (I'd just finished a power cycling class, followed by some intense lap swimming and I had a few minutes to spare before heading up to handbell choir practice). One of the two cute female lifeguards, who I had noticed while swimming my laps, was on "scrub off the film from the stainless steel of the whirlpool" duty and so she and I bantered back and forth a bit...that is until two older guys got in, thus not giving her any more room to complete the job and she had to go and work on cleaning the lap pool. Rats!

Hopefully most of you have seen the previews airing all week on CBS (one per commerical break during all college and pro football games) with Rory saying he won't "slave around" the Yasur camp is he's just going to get voted out. Meanwhile, over at Lopevi, Julie uses her assets to try and win over some votes. As if that weren't enough, here is what the CBS web-site has to say we can expect this week:

Feeling vulnerable, one castaway gives an impassioned, persuasive speech in hopes of breaking the tribe's alliances.

In a piglet-herding Reward Challenge, could one tribe's chance of winning be hurt by a member's fear of handling pigs?

Things get very relaxed at one camp, where one castaway decides to do some nude sunbathing, and a walk to gather food fuels an alliance.

Conflicted over how to vote in the upcoming Tribal Council, one castaway prays for a sign to guide the decision. POOF! The sign appears.

With all that information in mind, we come now to this week's contest.

1. Which tribe will win the piglet-herding reward challenge? (1 point)
2. Who has a fear of handling the piglets? (1 point)
3. What is the reward for herding the piglets? (1 point)
4. Which tribe wins immunity? (1 point)
5. Which castaway will be conflicted over who to vote for at Tribal Council? (1 point)
6. What is the sign that sways the vote for the conflicted tribe member? (1 point)
7. Who gets voted out this week? (1 point)
8. Which tribe will get "breaking the alliances" speech? (1 point)
9. Who gives the speech? (1 point)
10. Will Rory do any work in the Yasur camp? (1 point)

Bonus questions:11. Over or under three: Number of exotic island creatures we'll see in cutaway shots. (1 point)
12. None, one or more than one: Number of men Julie sways to her side by nude sunbathing. (1 point)
13. During the reward challenge, which tribe will Jeff Probst single out first for comments? (1 point)
14. During the immunity challenge, which tribe will Jeff Probst single out first with a comment? (1 point)

So, there's this week's contest. Leave your votes or a link to your votes in the comments section. Also, remember to vote before 8 p.m EST. Good luck!

posted byMichael Hickerson at 10/21/2004 08:26:00 AM |
| Wednesday, October 20, 2004TV Round-UpSmallville: DevotedIf you listen very carefully in the fade-out, moment-of-silence for Christopher Reeve you can hear the reset button for this show being pushed. Face it--we're back to sesaon one. Clark and Lex are friends again, Chloe has the unrequited crush thing for Clark, Lana is dating an older guy who is involved with the football team and no one just Jonathan and Martha know that Clark has superpowers. Yep, the show is back to square one. I guess the producers really were looking to recapture those glorydays when Smallville basked in good ratings. But apparently instead of following through on the compelling, interesting premise they'd build up since season one, they've decided to go back to status quo. And this week's episode was really no exception. Kryptonite plus something equals town reisdents acting insanely until Clark can step in and save them all. Yes, I suppose that it was kind of fun to see Lois and Clark working together to solve the mystery, but that's all that really set this one apart from being lifted from season one and put down in season four. I guess I should count my blessings...at least we didn't get a ten minute scene with Lana and Clark lamenting they can't be together like we did to end nearly every episode from last season...

Lost: WalkaboutFormer Buffy and Angelscribe David Fury offers up his first script for Lost and shows he hasn't lost a step. As Jack is thrust into the role of leader for the group of survivors, we begin to see the story of Locke unfold. I guessed fairly early on that Locke had some type of ailment that impeded his mobility (I was thinking wooden leg for some reason), but I never saw the big reveal coming. Like last week's Veronica Mars, the central reveal was perfectly set-up because all the clues are there--it's just that the writers are so busy distracting us with other plot threads that we don' t see them. After all, the wheelchair to be on the plane and near one of the survivors for some reason...but it's only here we see why. Also, the shots of Locke waking up and wiggling his toes--at first, you think it's about him making sure he's OK. But in looking back, you realize it's in disbelief that he is miraculously healed. It also makes you wonder how anxious Locke will be to get back to civilization....on the island he can walk and is taken seriously by the people around him, something that didn't happen back in his previous life. Just like Kate, he may not be in such a huge rush to go back to the life he had before the crash.

Also of interest was the show addressing the survivors basic needs--to find food and water. I liked Shannon's attempts to be "self-sufficient" by having Charlie catch fish for her. I also have to wonder about something-- did Locke really kills the boar by himself or did the not-yet-seen monster somehow help?

This show just gets better and better each week. And we're only four episodes into it. I like that, unlike Alias in its first year, the show is taking time to build things up slowly and not reveal too much too soon. As much as I like Alias, it had about three seasons of plotline in one season of actual show. And I also love how we find one answer only to gain four or five more than will go unanswered. But you can bet it'll keep me running back for more next week.

posted byMichael Hickerson at 10/20/2004 08:57:00 AM |
| Tuesday, October 19, 2004Life out of balance?Princess Deidre stopped by for a visit, so I returned the favor (actually, I've been to her blog before via my good friend Logtar (who I have been good and not once rubbed in that my Redskins beat his Bears on Sunday...nope, won't find any of that kind of rubbing it in here!)). On her blog, I saw this test asking if your life is in balance. So, I took it and no huge shock, my life is not exactly balanced.

Here's what it told me...

Michael, you really know how to focus on Diet and Exercise

But everyone needs a break — even from things they're great at. You might even find it energizing. You know that the way to a clear mind is a healthy body. That's why you try to eat nutritious foods and get your feet moving more than others. Nutritious meals and tough workouts are quick and sure-fire ways to improve your mood and get rid of stress.

Just remember, life's about more than what you put into your body and get out of it. Every once in a while, your body needs a break from exercise...just like when it sometimes needs a cheeseburger and fries. It's moderation — not unbreakable commitments — that helps you maintain your healthy lifestyle. So keep up the good work!

Yeah, I say the results are pretty accurate since I do put a high priority on being able to exercise at least five times a week. Trust me on this one--I am far easier to be around if I've gone swimming and worked out my stress there.

He seems to be getting the hang of this whole getting presents thing...

His big birthday party isn't until this Satuday (well before the Vols take on Alabama!) but we had some family get together time for him. He's not quite too sure about this whole opening presents thing just yet, but he is slowly getting the hang of it. I haven't given him all his presents from Uncle Michael yet--I got him a Vol warm-up suit, a big truck he can push around and a book (I like to encourage the young 'uns to read!).

We've(Insane Faery) been doing a lot of redecorating around our home lately and checking out some of the home decorating shows, I'd never really watched them before but have found a few kind of interesting so this week Home shows are in the spotlight!

1. Do you watch home shows regularly? If so, which ones?I wouldn't say that I watch any of them regularily--as in going out of my way to view them. But I do enjoy While You Were Out, Trading Spaces and some of those other home improvement shows. Also, Design on a Dime is good because it seesm to present some more realistic ways to design your home that are pratical and not as costly.

2. Have you ever followed a tip that you learned from a home show or TV?I saw a show a week or so ago that repainted an end table in a way I may try on a bookshelf I picked up at a yard sale.

3. What is the best (worst,stupidest,coolest...) thing you've ever seen on a home show?There was an episode of Trading Spaces where they nailed moss to the wall. There was also an old episode of Hometime where Dean and his female co-host were working on a project. Dean sits down to have an ice cold soda on a cooler while the co-host is in the background working hard. We see the co-host realize that Dean is slacking and give him this dirty look...I just thought that was classic.

~Bonus~ If your home had it's own show what would it be called? Why?I'd have one that is for ordinary joes, like myself. I'd love to show when ordinary people like you or I screw up a project--such as not measuring the wood the right length, etc. My dad and I used to joke we should have our own show wherein we'd build a project but at some point make a minor error. Instead of fixing it, we just smash the project with sledge hammers and start over. We'd never smash anything to bits at the same time in the show, thus hooking viewers to watch to see when we'd screw up and loose it.

posted byMichael Hickerson at 10/19/2004 11:11:00 AM |
| Farscape: The Peace Keeper Wars
When Sci-Fi cancelled Farscape a couple of years ago, I was a bit annoyed. OK, I was a lot annoyed. The biggest annoyance was that at the end of season three, Farscape was given a two-year renewal, thus allowing David Kemper and company to plot out the main story arc and how it would unfold over two years. Then, abruptly, Farscape was cancelled and the fans were denied the opportunity to see how it all ended.

Now, finally withFarscape: The Peace Keeper Wars, we get a chance to see the vision for how the series was supposed to end. And the verdict: It wrapped things up pretty well.

Make no mistake. This mini-series was not really designed to convert any novice fans to the universe that is Farscape. In fact, I'd say that any novice fan who tuned in based on the hype or the relentless commericals for the mini-series probably left the first hour of part one utterly confused and scratching their head in bewilderment. The mini-series wasted very little time with trying to explain who we are, where we are and why, but instead was content to plow forward, full-speed into trying to cram a 22-episode final season into four hours of screen time.

The remarkable thing is--they did it.

If you're a fan of the series, then this was as close to Farscape nirvana as you can get. An eloquent, wonderful and satifsying end to the series all the while leaving the door open to more adventures. This is what the series finale should have been and I'm thankful that the fans created so much positive publicity to give the mini-series the green light.

The mini-series quickly put Crichton and Aeryn back together, literally, and then plunged forward into the rapidly growing war between the PeaceKeepers and the Scarrans. Once again, it's nice to know that the entire universe revolves around John Crichton. Within hours of his coming back from the dead, the PeaceKeeper and the Scarrans have shown up, trying to take him prisoner and force the knowledge of how to build wormhole weapons out of his head. There was a great sense of the inevitability of the situation throughout the mini-series. Despite Crichton and company's best efforts to find another way, every door kept closing on them. There were moments in this one that felt a lot like some of the season two episodes of Babylon Five, when forces worked against the characters attempts to desparately avoid a long, bloody war.

The focus on the mini-series is on Cricthon and Aeryn. All they really want is to get married and start raising their family. It's just the universe has other ideas. Other factions want Crichton and his wormhole knowledge for their own purposes--the destruction of their enemies. There is also a focus on wrapping up the series in a satisfying way while leaving the door open to possibly more adventures should ratings warrant such a return. (I hope they do, but honestly, I'm kind of happy now with how it all ended).

Along the way, we got appearances by just about everyone who was important to the Farscape storyline over the years, except for Zhaan (was it just me or did anyone expect to see her appear to Crichton as he lay in bed, following the aftermath the ancients taking the knowledge from his mind?). We got Grusleg and the alien healer from "Die Me Dichotomy" and Jothee from seasons two and three, we had Jool, Noranti and Stark all make appearances--Stark was actually pretty well utilized in the mini-series after not really contributing much in season three. It was a nice roll call of familiar faces and probably one that would have confused the heck out of first-time viewers.

The mini-series also brought what they were trying to do in season four into focus. I wasn't a huge fan of "What Was Lost" because we never got any payoff to it. Now, we see why it was so important and what they were setting up. On one hand, it might have been nice to see the storyline of running from planet to planet to try and create the new peace influencing aliens over the course of a season, but then again, in the mini-series there was a sense of urgency, especially as events slowly spiralled out of control.

There's a sense in these four hours of inevitablity. It was inevitable that Crichton would create the wormhole weapon, it's inevitable that he'd use it. It was inevitable that D'Argo would sacrfice himself (in one of the more truely moving on-screen deaths in quite a while). It was inevitable that Crichton would give everyone the choice between peace and utter destruction so he could raise his son in a universe ruled by peace. One thing Farscape has excelled at over the years is creating tough situations for the characters and not giving them an easy way out. And there was no easy way out here.

Thankfully, things all worked out for the best. I had heard rumors that some of the characters wouldn't survive. I was struck by how moving and well-done D'Argo's death was. I was also on the edge of my seat, wondering if Crichton would live until the final few moments when he tells his son the universe is his playground.

That said, there were some things to the mini-series that didn't quite ring true. The fact that Sikosu turns out to be a Scarran spy came out of left field too much. It also makes Scorpius look a bit stupid to trust her so implicitly, making her his right hand woman only to have her be the traitor. We get some sense that Scorpius suspected long before he called her on it, but why would he keep her that close. Also, why would the Scarrans keep her prisoner on their ship with the rest of them? I just didn't quite get the logic of this one, other than we needed a spy and we didn't want it to be one of our familiar friends from the crew.

Also, as nice a moment as it was for Pilot to tell Crichton that he and Moya built the weapon because they trust him, it might have been better that they did it for he and Aeryn. Pilot and Aeryn share a special bond, as we've seen detailed many times before. To see Pilot argue that they did this for Crichton and his family might have been a bit more effective.

But, in the end, my overall feeling is one of satisfaction. I'm far happier with the entire Farscape saga being resolved in this way. As much as I'd like to see more, it'd be just icing on the cake. This was great ending to a great show.

posted byMichael Hickerson at 10/18/2004 01:05:00 PM |
| TV Round-UpEnterprise: Storm Front, Part 2Looking at the fourth season starter for Enterprise, I found it hard to muster up much concern for the dilemma that Archer and company were facing. After spending all of last season stopping the Xindi threat, somehow alien Nazis who are from the future and want to return there just didn't muster up the same kind of edge-of-your-seat, compelling viewing that the final few chapters of the Xindi arc did. Again, the Xindi arc had all season to build up a sense of urgency and also give us some recurring characters that we could root for and against whereas here we only had two episodes that were largely plot-driven so the chance to actually care about the characters on any level other than a superficial one never really gelled. Not that Manny Coto doesn't valiantly try his best--I liked the idea of Vosk planting seeds of doubt in Archer's mind about Daniel's motives and intentions. I'll also give Coto credit for taking a huge number of plotthreads and finding a way to tell a story that moves along without being too muddled or incoherent a mess in the end. That said, the ending just wasn't that compelling. Archer and company blow up some stuff and save the future, though I'm still quite sure why stopping Vosk at that point meant the timeline was restored. And while the special effects sequences were breathtaking and nicely done, I found myself wishing for something more than just a, well, we blew up the bad guys and won the day ending.

I'm hoping now that we've dealt with the resolving the Temporal Cold War plotlines and the evil Nazi aliens plotline, that we might see Enterprise get back to Earth and deal with some of the fallout from the Xindi storyline last year. I'm hoping we get an episode like what TNG did with "Home" in season four that dealt with the fallout of Picard's capture by the Borg and not just a relentless pushing forward into exploring the unknown and meeting cool aliens wekk after week.

Scrubs: My CakeIf there's any doubt that this is one of, if not the best shows on TV, then "My Cake" firmly erases all of that. There are so few shows that you can go from laugh out loud funny to genuinely moved in just a few seconds. But, Scrubs does it week in and week out with grace, ease and depth. J.D.'s brother shows up with bad news--his father has passes away. (J.D.'s dad was played by the late John Ritter). The episode really focuses on the aftershocks of how men deal with bad news. Turk finds out he has type 2 diabetes, J.D. loses his father and the janitor tries to make Kelso think he's losing his mind. Every week, I find more to respect and love about Dr. Cox, who comes through for J.D., trying to help him in the only ways he can. The final scene with J.D., his brother and Cox sitting around, watching sports and talking about his dad was perfect. Man, this show is good....

Veronica Mars: Meet John SmithThe best mysteries are those that put the answer right there in plain sight, but distract you with misdirections and red herrings until the big reveal. And, man, this episode got me hook, line and sinker. At first, I thought Justin's wanting to find his father was just a way to try and hook up with Veronica. Instead, we find out that his father isn't really deal but has, instead, undergone a sex change operation. Turns out she's the woman who keeps coming into the video store asking for his recommendations on movies. I did not see the twist coming until his dad pulled up in the driveway to end act three...and then, you just do a Homer Simpon, "D'oh!" because it's so obvious about the solution. As if that weren't enough, we get some teasing about the on-going Erica Kane plotline and its affects on her family. Please, please, please don't let this show get cancelled before we resolve all of this. It's just far too interesting.
Boston LegalThey expect us to believe that Freddie Prinze Jr is the son of Shatner?!? You must be joking right! Thankfully, we find out that Prinze's character is not the offspring of Shatner. That just can't happen. Shatner=cool. Freddie Prinze, Jr=guy whose wife has all the acting talent in the family and won't be remembered ten years from now. (BTW--Prinze is married to Sarah Michelle Gellar).

Just remember, life's about more than what you put into your body and get out of it. Every once in a while, your body needs a break from exercise...just like when it sometimes needs a cheeseburger and fries. It's moderation — not unbreakable commitments — that helps you maintain your healthy lifestyle. So keep up the good work!

Yeah, I say the results are pretty accurate since I do put a high priority on being able to exercise at least five times a week. Trust me on this one--I am far easier to be around if I've gone swimming and worked out my stress there.

A big Big Orangethanks to the Greenes for providing me with this link! |W|P|109822527998298807|W|P|The infamous haircut|W|P|bigorangemichael@gmail.com10/19/2004 01:32:00 PM|W|P|Michael Hickerson|W|P|My nephew turned one year old on Sunday. A year old--where does the time go?

He seems to be getting the hang of this whole getting presents thing...

His big birthday party isn't until this Satuday (well before the Vols take on Alabama!) but we had some family get together time for him. He's not quite too sure about this whole opening presents thing just yet, but he is slowly getting the hang of it. I haven't given him all his presents from Uncle Michael yet--I got him a Vol warm-up suit, a big truck he can push around and a book (I like to encourage the young 'uns to read!).|W|P|109821072544651770|W|P|One year old.|W|P|bigorangemichael@gmail.com10/19/2004 11:11:00 AM|W|P|Michael Hickerson|W|P|Home Shows

We've(Insane Faery) been doing a lot of redecorating around our home lately and checking out some of the home decorating shows, I'd never really watched them before but have found a few kind of interesting so this week Home shows are in the spotlight!

1. Do you watch home shows regularly? If so, which ones?I wouldn't say that I watch any of them regularily--as in going out of my way to view them. But I do enjoy While You Were Out, Trading Spaces and some of those other home improvement shows. Also, Design on a Dime is good because it seesm to present some more realistic ways to design your home that are pratical and not as costly.

2. Have you ever followed a tip that you learned from a home show or TV?I saw a show a week or so ago that repainted an end table in a way I may try on a bookshelf I picked up at a yard sale.

3. What is the best (worst,stupidest,coolest...) thing you've ever seen on a home show?There was an episode of Trading Spaces where they nailed moss to the wall. There was also an old episode of Hometime where Dean and his female co-host were working on a project. Dean sits down to have an ice cold soda on a cooler while the co-host is in the background working hard. We see the co-host realize that Dean is slacking and give him this dirty look...I just thought that was classic.

~Bonus~ If your home had it's own show what would it be called? Why?I'd have one that is for ordinary joes, like myself. I'd love to show when ordinary people like you or I screw up a project--such as not measuring the wood the right length, etc. My dad and I used to joke we should have our own show wherein we'd build a project but at some point make a minor error. Instead of fixing it, we just smash the project with sledge hammers and start over. We'd never smash anything to bits at the same time in the show, thus hooking viewers to watch to see when we'd screw up and loose it.|W|P|109820263116993856|W|P|TV Tuesday|W|P|bigorangemichael@gmail.com10/19/2004 09:36:00 AM|W|P|Michael Hickerson|W|P|When Sci-Fi cancelled Farscape a couple of years ago, I was a bit annoyed. OK, I was a lot annoyed. The biggest annoyance was that at the end of season three, Farscape was given a two-year renewal, thus allowing David Kemper and company to plot out the main story arc and how it would unfold over two years. Then, abruptly, Farscape was cancelled and the fans were denied the opportunity to see how it all ended.

Now, finally withFarscape: The Peace Keeper Wars, we get a chance to see the vision for how the series was supposed to end. And the verdict: It wrapped things up pretty well.

Make no mistake. This mini-series was not really designed to convert any novice fans to the universe that is Farscape. In fact, I'd say that any novice fan who tuned in based on the hype or the relentless commericals for the mini-series probably left the first hour of part one utterly confused and scratching their head in bewilderment. The mini-series wasted very little time with trying to explain who we are, where we are and why, but instead was content to plow forward, full-speed into trying to cram a 22-episode final season into four hours of screen time.

The remarkable thing is--they did it.

If you're a fan of the series, then this was as close to Farscape nirvana as you can get. An eloquent, wonderful and satifsying end to the series all the while leaving the door open to more adventures. This is what the series finale should have been and I'm thankful that the fans created so much positive publicity to give the mini-series the green light.

The mini-series quickly put Crichton and Aeryn back together, literally, and then plunged forward into the rapidly growing war between the PeaceKeepers and the Scarrans. Once again, it's nice to know that the entire universe revolves around John Crichton. Within hours of his coming back from the dead, the PeaceKeeper and the Scarrans have shown up, trying to take him prisoner and force the knowledge of how to build wormhole weapons out of his head. There was a great sense of the inevitability of the situation throughout the mini-series. Despite Crichton and company's best efforts to find another way, every door kept closing on them. There were moments in this one that felt a lot like some of the season two episodes of Babylon Five, when forces worked against the characters attempts to desparately avoid a long, bloody war.

The focus on the mini-series is on Cricthon and Aeryn. All they really want is to get married and start raising their family. It's just the universe has other ideas. Other factions want Crichton and his wormhole knowledge for their own purposes--the destruction of their enemies. There is also a focus on wrapping up the series in a satisfying way while leaving the door open to possibly more adventures should ratings warrant such a return. (I hope they do, but honestly, I'm kind of happy now with how it all ended).

Along the way, we got appearances by just about everyone who was important to the Farscape storyline over the years, except for Zhaan (was it just me or did anyone expect to see her appear to Crichton as he lay in bed, following the aftermath the ancients taking the knowledge from his mind?). We got Grusleg and the alien healer from "Die Me Dichotomy" and Jothee from seasons two and three, we had Jool, Noranti and Stark all make appearances--Stark was actually pretty well utilized in the mini-series after not really contributing much in season three. It was a nice roll call of familiar faces and probably one that would have confused the heck out of first-time viewers.

The mini-series also brought what they were trying to do in season four into focus. I wasn't a huge fan of "What Was Lost" because we never got any payoff to it. Now, we see why it was so important and what they were setting up. On one hand, it might have been nice to see the storyline of running from planet to planet to try and create the new peace influencing aliens over the course of a season, but then again, in the mini-series there was a sense of urgency, especially as events slowly spiralled out of control.

There's a sense in these four hours of inevitablity. It was inevitable that Crichton would create the wormhole weapon, it's inevitable that he'd use it. It was inevitable that D'Argo would sacrfice himself (in one of the more truely moving on-screen deaths in quite a while). It was inevitable that Crichton would give everyone the choice between peace and utter destruction so he could raise his son in a universe ruled by peace. One thing Farscape has excelled at over the years is creating tough situations for the characters and not giving them an easy way out. And there was no easy way out here.

Thankfully, things all worked out for the best. I had heard rumors that some of the characters wouldn't survive. I was struck by how moving and well-done D'Argo's death was. I was also on the edge of my seat, wondering if Crichton would live until the final few moments when he tells his son the universe is his playground.

That said, there were some things to the mini-series that didn't quite ring true. The fact that Sikosu turns out to be a Scarran spy came out of left field too much. It also makes Scorpius look a bit stupid to trust her so implicitly, making her his right hand woman only to have her be the traitor. We get some sense that Scorpius suspected long before he called her on it, but why would he keep her that close. Also, why would the Scarrans keep her prisoner on their ship with the rest of them? I just didn't quite get the logic of this one, other than we needed a spy and we didn't want it to be one of our familiar friends from the crew.

Also, as nice a moment as it was for Pilot to tell Crichton that he and Moya built the weapon because they trust him, it might have been better that they did it for he and Aeryn. Pilot and Aeryn share a special bond, as we've seen detailed many times before. To see Pilot argue that they did this for Crichton and his family might have been a bit more effective.

But, in the end, my overall feeling is one of satisfaction. I'm far happier with the entire Farscape saga being resolved in this way. As much as I'd like to see more, it'd be just icing on the cake. This was great ending to a great show.

On a related note, Saturday's FoxTrot addressed the mini-series...

|W|P|109819957008474227|W|P|Farscape: The Peace Keeper Wars|W|P|bigorangemichael@gmail.com10/18/2004 01:05:00 PM|W|P|Michael Hickerson|W|P|The BBC's web site has published the logo for the new Doctor Who series.

The new Dr Who logo

It's OK....not great, but it could grow on me.
|W|P|109812272863797429|W|P|The new Dr. Who logo.|W|P|bigorangemichael@gmail.com10/18/2004 11:53:00 AM|W|P|Michael Hickerson|W|P|Enterprise: Storm Front, Part 2Looking at the fourth season starter for Enterprise, I found it hard to muster up much concern for the dilemma that Archer and company were facing. After spending all of last season stopping the Xindi threat, somehow alien Nazis who are from the future and want to return there just didn't muster up the same kind of edge-of-your-seat, compelling viewing that the final few chapters of the Xindi arc did. Again, the Xindi arc had all season to build up a sense of urgency and also give us some recurring characters that we could root for and against whereas here we only had two episodes that were largely plot-driven so the chance to actually care about the characters on any level other than a superficial one never really gelled. Not that Manny Coto doesn't valiantly try his best--I liked the idea of Vosk planting seeds of doubt in Archer's mind about Daniel's motives and intentions. I'll also give Coto credit for taking a huge number of plotthreads and finding a way to tell a story that moves along without being too muddled or incoherent a mess in the end. That said, the ending just wasn't that compelling. Archer and company blow up some stuff and save the future, though I'm still quite sure why stopping Vosk at that point meant the timeline was restored. And while the special effects sequences were breathtaking and nicely done, I found myself wishing for something more than just a, well, we blew up the bad guys and won the day ending.

I'm hoping now that we've dealt with the resolving the Temporal Cold War plotlines and the evil Nazi aliens plotline, that we might see Enterprise get back to Earth and deal with some of the fallout from the Xindi storyline last year. I'm hoping we get an episode like what TNG did with "Home" in season four that dealt with the fallout of Picard's capture by the Borg and not just a relentless pushing forward into exploring the unknown and meeting cool aliens wekk after week.

Scrubs: My CakeIf there's any doubt that this is one of, if not the best shows on TV, then "My Cake" firmly erases all of that. There are so few shows that you can go from laugh out loud funny to genuinely moved in just a few seconds. But, Scrubs does it week in and week out with grace, ease and depth. J.D.'s brother shows up with bad news--his father has passes away. (J.D.'s dad was played by the late John Ritter). The episode really focuses on the aftershocks of how men deal with bad news. Turk finds out he has type 2 diabetes, J.D. loses his father and the janitor tries to make Kelso think he's losing his mind. Every week, I find more to respect and love about Dr. Cox, who comes through for J.D., trying to help him in the only ways he can. The final scene with J.D., his brother and Cox sitting around, watching sports and talking about his dad was perfect. Man, this show is good....

Veronica Mars: Meet John SmithThe best mysteries are those that put the answer right there in plain sight, but distract you with misdirections and red herrings until the big reveal. And, man, this episode got me hook, line and sinker. At first, I thought Justin's wanting to find his father was just a way to try and hook up with Veronica. Instead, we find out that his father isn't really deal but has, instead, undergone a sex change operation. Turns out she's the woman who keeps coming into the video store asking for his recommendations on movies. I did not see the twist coming until his dad pulled up in the driveway to end act three...and then, you just do a Homer Simpon, "D'oh!" because it's so obvious about the solution. As if that weren't enough, we get some teasing about the on-going Erica Kane plotline and its affects on her family. Please, please, please don't let this show get cancelled before we resolve all of this. It's just far too interesting.
Boston LegalThey expect us to believe that Freddie Prinze Jr is the son of Shatner?!? You must be joking right! Thankfully, we find out that Prinze's character is not the offspring of Shatner. That just can't happen. Shatner=cool. Freddie Prinze, Jr=guy whose wife has all the acting talent in the family and won't be remembered ten years from now. (BTW--Prinze is married to Sarah Michelle Gellar).
|W|P|109811070387850524|W|P|TV Round-Up|W|P|bigorangemichael@gmail.com-->